It is understood that a group of Travellers who set up an 'unauthorised encampment' at St Denys' the Minster Church have left.

Warminster Police and Wiltshire Council were alerted to the group taking up residence in the church grounds and visited the site on Tuesday, August 20. 

The group were issued a section 61 notice requiring them to leave by Wednesday, August 21. 

A witness said that they had followed the requirements of this notice, leaving behind bags of rubbish

A Warminster Police spokesperson said: "We are aware of reports of an unauthorised encampment at St Denys' the Minster Church in Warminster.

"Supported by our colleagues from Our Wiltshire, and the St Deny's Church community, we have issued a Section 61 to those in the location. Welfare checks were also carried out.

"This notice requires those present to leave the site by 09:00 on Wednesday 21st August 2024.

"We will re-attend the church grounds tomorrow to check that the notice has been adhered to and that they have left the site."

This appeared to be a much less eventful incident than a previous encampment in 2021 when a group of travellers who had caused problems for the police and local councils in Melksham and Trowbridge moved on to Warminster church car park. 

Churchwarden Shiela Pomeroy said at the time: “It’s a nightmare. We are not going to be able to use the car park until they leave. It’s just as well we have no weddings or funerals booked.”